I've always thought whipbirds were territorial and only 1 pair lived in a given area. I hear them calling all the time but it always seemed like just the one male and female, might hear others off in the distance but never close together.
Yesterday I went for a walk and headed towards where I heard one calling, I came to a small clearing and in a tree at the edge of the clearing there was 6 whipbirds, they were flying about to the ground and other trees but always came back to where I first saw them.
Then they started calling and others in the bush close by started calling too. There was at least another 3 pair around me. First time I've ever seen a flock of whipbirds.
I took some pictures but the light wasn't the best and I had the shakes bad yesterday so they're not very good. This pic shows 3 of them in the tree.
It must have been a party! You are very lucky to see them at all. There are quite a few around my place, but I am lucky to get an occasional glimpse of one. I do not know about them being territorial though; I have definitely heard more than one in close proximity.
One of the best bird sounds I have ever heard was 2 whipbirds calling simultaneously!
- soakes
soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia
Hi to both of you! I get a few behind my place,I often hear them, but they are very hard to find. I have had three male Golden Whistlers together in the same tree, but they were after the same female!(just like....?)
But we also have Lyrebirds,sometimes they sound like the Whipbirds, only a lot louder.
M-L
Triker,even with the shakes, I can clearly see the Whipbirds. Were most of them males chassing a female? Just wanted to say, thanks for sharing the story and photo.M-L
M-L
I think they were pairs because of the calls, 3 of them that I could see in the tree were taking it in turns doing the whip and the other 3 would do the choo choo. Only a guess though, I thought it was the male and female that joined together for the call but one of my books says sometimes the male will do both parts. Then there were the others around me that I heard but didn't see. At one point I was between 2 of those because the whip call was clearly on my right and the choo choo on my left. One thing I noticed was that only one female would answer the male at time. So maybe when I hear a pair of them calling it's actually more than one pair taking turns.
It really made my morning to see them, usually I just get a fleeting glimpse, to have 5 mins or so of watching them calling and displaying was wonderful. Until I got home and downloaded the pics and saw how blurred they were, most of the time I even missed getting the birds in the shot. Getting old sucks!
John
Right John,it sucks!!! You have to make sure you don't slip and fall, the glasses on your nose mess up the focus, it takes longer to find the birds, your arms hurt from holding the camera, and just in case you have to find a spot behind a tree ,to do you know what, (as a girl), you find it hard to get up again.Wouldn't it be great to have a friend to carry your gear, and a little flask? LOL
I fell on my knee 2 months ago, it is still swollen! Yes, getting OLD SUCKS! A lesson for the young: do everything you want NOW !! M-L
M-L
Thanks for the laugh M-L :) I smashed the glass in the rear of the view finder in my camera during a tumble. Fortunately it still works.
Personally I think the youngins should wheel us to a nice sunny position or in summer a nice shady position and herd the birds towards us.
John
Hey John and Marie-Louise
Getting old may suck but it sure beats the alternative B'> and besides these stories would not be as enjoyable if you were not the ones experiencing them.
My sympathy for any pains you may have experienced however I know myself that the pain I get after extra exercise or uncommon exertion is kind of a "nice" pain as it reminds me that I have been doing something special or different.
(((Hugs))) to you both and thanks for sharing your stories and photos. That whipbird experience is magical in my eyes
Alison
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"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
Very interesting. I have only ever seen them singly. Maybe they had a family gathering.
Cheers, Owen.
Hey Triker..that is a great story. ANd lucky to get a shot even if it is a shakey one It is wonderful to be able to observe the family of birds and to be able to do so at the same place regularly and compare behaviours is even more fantastic. I have discovered that the EWBs I hear at home and surrounds have a variety of calls. Indeed the males sometimes do both parts and invariably they will just throw in a choo choo when she doesn't respond for a while. Sometimes they do three choos in a row too. I had a great experience in my garden just outside my room this week, as I had been trying to identify this cross sounding little chirrupy sound coming from the undergrowth and ferns. I knew I recognised it but just couldnt place it as it wasn't a typical sound. Just to confuse matters, the Leewins through in a few bursts of staccato in the midst of it so I became convinced that the LH must be nesting their. then I got lucky last week as I heard the cross cirpy sound and saw my cat heading in the same direction .... I was jsut out of the shower and had to quickly find the biggest towekl ever and race out there to kick the cats backside adn she had disturbed the bird.... I just saw it hop up into the trees and sit on the fence to look back at me for a few seconds.... I was pretty excited to see the unmistakable shape of the EWB. They set up some pretty huge duets around here so I was hapy as a pig in mud to see one so close to my window.
Interestingly enough , the green Catbirds that I thought were just two are actually a family of many. Graham Chapman put me wise to this when I contacted him to ask about them. So I have a family that multiplies with each season and now at least 3 come down to visit . I am getting to love my garden :')
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Hi Triker, I experienced somthing similar today. Only with Golden Whistlers. I stood in the trees, surrounded by 5 males whistling their little hearts out, only to impress one female. It was amazing, I just stood,and stood and watched!I had the camera in my hand, but didn't want to move. I have never seen anything like it before.
M-L